Music-leaf turner.



' PATENTED AUG. 11, 1908. W. B. COLEMAN.

MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES INVENTOR G- 5 PVILLZAMB. C'bLEAlAM By y zg Attorneys WILLIAM B. COLEMAN, OF GORAOPOLIS, PENNSYLVANIA.

MUSIC-LEAF TURNER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 11, 1908.

Application filed. May 29, 1907. Serial No. 376,367.

device of the character indicated, which may be readily operated by a slight touch of the finger of the performer, thus avoiding the de lay and annoyance of grasping the leaf with the thumb and finger.

A further object of the invention is, to provide a music leaf turner with novel means for operating it by the pressure of a pedal thus leaving the hands of the performer free.

Further objects of the invention are, to provide means for securing leaves of music in unfolded or open position upon the music .rack of a piano or other instrument; to provide adjustable supports for accommodating music books of varying size; and to equip the device with means for turning the leaves back from right to left.

With these several objects in view, the invention consists of the features of construction, and combinations of devices hereinafter to be fully described, in connection with the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings; Figure 1 is a front elevation of a music leaf-turner embodying the invention, Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same, Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the upper portion of the pivotal supports of the turning arms, Fig. 4 is a similar view of the lower portion of said pivotal supports and mechanism connected thereto, Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a piano with the leaf-turner in position therein, and provided with a pedal attachment, Fig. 6 is a perspective view broken away of a music leaf turner in accordance with this invention, Fig. 7, is an enlarged front view of a portion of my device illustrating the lever shifting means, and Fig. 8 is a detail side view of the said means.

The supporting frame of the device comprises parallel horizontal bars 1 and 2 connected by a central vertical bar 3, and vertical end bar 4. The upper and lower horizontal bars of the frame are also connected by vertical bars 5, at points between the central bar 3 and the end bars 4. Said bars 5 being provided on their inner edges, for approximately half their height, with rack-teeth 6 adapted to be engaged by oppositely disposed dogs 7, each of which is pivotally secured between perforated ears 8 projecting from a slide 9. These slides surround the bars 5 with an outwardly and upwardly projecting arm 10 to support a music book. Each of the dogs 7 is provided with a spring 11, one end of which is attached to the pivot pin of the dog while the other bears against the depending end of the dog to force the upper hooked end of the dog into engagement with the rack teeth.

It will be apparent that the two slides 9 may be readily adjusted upon the vertical bars 5 to bring the upper edges of the leaves of a .book into proper position with relation to the leaf turning arms which are arranged adjacent to the upper horizontal bar 2 of the frame as well as forwardly of the bar 3.

The reference numeral 12 designates a shaft supported at its upper end in a bracket bearing 13 projecting centrally from the upper horizontal bar 2 and at its lower end extends through a bearing formed in the lower horizontal bar 1, the latter being of sufficient width to form a shelf to support the operating levers of the device.

To the upper end of the shaft 12 is secured the inner end of an arm 14, to opposite sides of which are pivotally secured spring fingers 15 which are adapted to be turned to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 to embrace the upper edge of a leaf of a book.

Secured to the lower end of the shaft 12 is a gearwheel 16 meshing with a sector 17 carried by the inner end of a lever 18 fulcrumed' upon a pivot screw 19 and projecting out beyond a plate 20, upon the upper surface of which is an upwardly projecting lug 21 serving as a stop against which the lever 18 engages as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. A bent spring 22 is secured at one end to the left hand edge of the lever 18, and the free end of said spring bears against avertical pin 23, extending through the plate 20.

Surrounding the shaft 12 is a tube 24 of less length than said shaft, and to the upper end of said tube is secured a turning arm 25 similar to the arm 14. To the lower end of the tube 24 is fixed a gear-wheel 26, meshing with a sector 27 secured to a lever 28 ful crumed upon the pivot-screw 19 which se cures the lever 18.

A tube 29 surrounds the tube 24, said tube 29 being shorter than the inner tube 24 and carrying a turning arm 30 at its upper end, and a gear wheel 31, at its lower end meshing with a sector 32 secured to a lever 33 which is also fulcrumed upon the pivot 19.

A third tube 34 surrounds the tube 29, and any desired number of similar tubes may be employed each being of less length than the next inner tube to permit of the attachment of a turning arm and a gear wheel 16 the relative arrangement of the several turning arms and gears, one above the other being shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and each of said gears meshing with a sector 17.

Each of the sector levers is provided with a curved spring similar to the spring 22, and all of said springs bear against the pin 23. A plate 20 is arranged below each of the levers and a top plate .20 conceals and protects the upper gear wheel and sector. The operating levers are preferably made of varying lengths so that each may be :touched by the finger separately.

The operation of the mechanism as thus far described, is as follows: If a bound book or volume of music is used the slides 9 are adjusted to such position as will permit the upper edges of the leaves to be embraced by the spring-finger 15 when the latter are turned down as shown in Fig. 3. The leaves to be turned are then engaged by the fingers, and the several leaves are all turned to the left against the tension of the springs 22, and engaged by the lugs 21. To turn the leaves it is only necessary to slightly elevate the outer ends of the levers successively. A reverse movement of the levers will restore the leaves to their original position and reengage the levers with their securing lugs. When ordinary sheet music is to be turned, the fingers 15 are turned up into alinement with the turning arms and. the upper edges of the sheets are bent on the arms to secure them thereto. 1

To operate the device by the foot, I provide the attachment shown in Fig. 5, which comprises a bell crank lever 35 pivotally secured to the front of the piano above the keyboard and connected at one end by a link 36 to a pivotal shifting member 37 adapted to strike the several levers of the leaf-turner as shown in detail in Figs. 7 and 8. The other arm of the lever 35 is connected by a rod 38 to one arm of a bell-crank lever 39 fulcrumed upon a bracket 40 at one side of the piano, the other arm of said lever 39 being connected by a rod 41 to a bell crank lever 42 which in turn is connected by a rod 43 to a fourth bell crank lever 44 connected to a pedal 45 said pedal being supplemental to the usual pianoforte-pedals. XVhen the pedal 45 is depressed the member 37 lifts the lever above it and the operation of the lever and turning arms is the same as has been already described.

In connection with my improvement I preferably employ two oppositely disposed inclined spring arms 46 secured at their upper ends to the side bars of the frame and each being formed with a spring coil 47. The free end 48 of these spring-arms are bent outward and are adapted to bear upon the music sheets to maintain them in position.

Having fully described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat ent, is,

1. In a music-leaf turner, the combination, with a supporting frame, of a centrally disposed vertical shaft, concentric tubes of different length surrounding said shaft, leafturning arms secured to the upper ends of said shaft and tubes, gearwheels fixed upon the lower ends of said shaft and tubes, sectors meshing with said gear wheels, spring pressed levers secured to said sectors, a se ries of plates separating said levers, and lugs projecting from said plates.

2. A music leaf turner comprising a supporting frame, a centrally-disposed vertical shaft, tubular members of different lengths surrounding said shaft, leaf-turning arms se cured to the up er ends of said shaft and tubes, gear whee s fixed upon the lower ends of said shafts and tubes, sectors meshing the said gear wheels, spring-pressed levers se cured to said sectors, and stops for the levers.

3. A music leaf turner comprising a supporting frame, a centrally-disposed vertical shaft, tubular members of different lengths surrounding said shaft, leaf-turning arms socured to the upper ends of said shaft and tubes, gear wheels fived upon the lower ends of said shafts and tubes, sectors meshing with the said gear wheels, spring-pressed levers secured to said sectors, stops for the levers, and an adjustable support for the music, said support adjustable to a position in operative re ation with respect to the leaf turning arms thereby enabling these latter to engage the leaves to be turned.

4. A music leaf turner comprising a supporting frame, a centrally-disposed vertical shaft, a turning arm secured thereto, a gear wheel fixed to said shaft, a sector meshing with said gear Wheel, a spring-controlled lever secured to said sector, and an adjustable supporting means for the music, said means arranged in operative relation with respect to said turning arm.

5. A music leaf turner comprising a supporting frame, a centrally-disposed vertical In testimony whereof I afliX my signature shaft, a turning arm secured thereto, a gear in the presence of two Witnesses. Wheel fixed to send arm, a sector meshing with the gear Wheel, a spring-controlled lever WILLIAM COLEMAN secured to said sector, a stop for said lever, Witnesses: and an adjustable supporting means for the MAX H. SROLOVITZ,

music. K. H. BUTLER. 

